PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12250, 23 September 1925, Page 8

PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

The Marine and Power Engineers’ Institute Incorporation Bill was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday. a .• The second instalment of the Wash-ing-Up Bill was brought down yesterday, and referred to the Lands Committee. The Hon. A. D. McLeod said that no new clauses would be accepted after midday on Thursday. * * * * SESSION ENDS NEXT WEEK The opinion seems to be generally accepted now that the session will end on about Wednesday or Thursday of next week. * • • • * FURTHER BILLS THIS SESSION Mr Sidey, as aSting-Leader of the Opposition, asked the Prime Minister yesterday what further Bills he expects will he brought down- this session. Mr Coates replied that he did not think lie could answer the question definitely; all depended on the law-draft ing office. There were to he two Land Bills (one dealing with deteriorated lands), a Control of Motor Traffic Bill, a small Public Works Amendment Bill, a Finance Bill, and the Appropriation. He hoped the Finance Bill would bo down this week. * * * + BROADCASTING IN WELLINGTON Sir John Luke asked the Postmaster , General if he would make an inquiry into the disabilities people in this city and district were experiencing in regard to broadcasting. “Broadcasting for about two years prior to April Ist last was carried out by the Dominion Radio Company _as trade propaganda for, the sale .of wireless apparatus,” replied Sir-James Barr. “On April Ist last; the date on which the present Government regulations came into force, the Government ‘ subsidised the Dominion Radio Company to the extent of £ls per week. Under the agreement entered into by the Government with the trustees of the proposed new broadcasting company, provision was made for the. latter to take over the station belonging to the Dominion Radio Company at a valuation. Ir the parties concerned could not agree on'a price, tlib chief telegraph engineer was to act as - arbitrator. Negotiations between the two parties concerned did not reach finality. Before the chief telegraph engineer could be given an opportunity of valuing the plant, the Dominion Radio , Company suddenly oeased broadcasting operations. In order to stand by my statement made in the House a few weeks ago, the department made a request to the company to place the station at its disposal, in order that there would not be any suspension of broadcasting from Wellington; and to this request the Dominion Radio Company willingly agreed. The departmental operations were going along nicely, first-class artists being engaged, when suddenly on Monday, the 14th inst., the Dominion Radio Company made a request that the keys of the station be returned the next day. For these reasons, broadcasting from Wellington was suddenly discontinued because, no other station is available. It is expected that the service will he, resumed at an early date.” Mr Howard: What were you paying for the use of their station?

- Sir James Parr: I don’t know.:. We were quite willing to inake any reasonable arrangement. With regard to the general contract, I hope that soon the Prime Minister gill give me an opportunity of making my general statement.

A FUSION MOTION Mr H. Atmore gave notice to move the following motion: “That, in view of the fact that Idle country’s needs cannot he met by a Government representative of only one of the present parties, the members of this House should before prorogation give effect to tiie wishes of the people of New Zealand by establishing a strong stable National Government, composed of the most able men in the House, who, with courage, foresight, and constructive ability, will formulate for the approval of the electors an enlightened, progressive national policy, enabling them to cope successfully with the ever-in-creasing perplexities of modern Government, and particularly those new and perplexing problems which emerged from the war and face us to-day, and which, if not dealt with in this time of crisis on wise, safe, constitutional ’ines, will result in an intensification of those alarming, ruinous conditions which threaten the destruction of the trade and industry of Great Britain and Australia, and which” is developing in our own Dominion, as evidenced by the serious hold-up of our export trade.” * « * * PEDIGREE STOCK FROM PORIRUA Mr Nash suggested that the Minister for Agriculture should reconsider a decision that pedigree stock from the Porirua farm should not be exhibited at the shows. The Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. W. Noswortliy, said the matter did not come within his scope, and should have been addressed to the Minister for Public Health. The question was then referied to the Minister for Public Health, the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare, who said that as Mr Nash had not- given him notice of the question he had better put it on the Order Paper. * • • a COMPENSATION ftOR SETTLERS The only solution which the Minister for Lands sees for the complaints which have been made by the settlers on the Hauraki Plains, is to grant, them a reasonable compensation, <ind have the matter disposed of altogether. ‘ If I know anything of farmers.” the Minister said ir. making the announcement, “they will, in applying for compensation, put a price on the land that will make it very expensive.” The intention of the Minister is to assist the soldier settlers in the Hauvaki district by secuiing for them holdings in other and more suitable places. * * . V SWAMP LAND DRAINAGE In order to deal with the swamp land problems in various parts of the Dominion, the Minister for Lands (Hon A. D. McLeod) considers a departmental report will have to be secured on the whole drainage question throughout New Zealand This statement was made while the Minister was discussing drainage of the Hauraki Plains, upon which a commission—ho would not say definitely a Royal commission —will probably have to report. * * * * KAITANGATA DISASTER The favourable consideration of the Government has been recommended in the petition of Robert Coulter and four others, praying for legislation to enable the Public Trustee to administer the Kaitangata Relief Fund to afford assistance to any of the descendants of the original beneficiaries. , |

OPENING THE DOOR Reporting upon a number of petitions from school teachers praying for recognition of previous service for the purpose of calculating superannuation allowance, the Education Committee reported thatthe granting of the petition would involve considerable increased "charges upon the fund, and it therefore recommended that an actuarial investigation be made into the whole matter during the recess. The Minister for Education (Sir James Parr) was asked if he would reopen the door to teachers who had previously declined to contribute to the teachers’ superannuation fund, in order to allow them admission by tho payment of the sum they would have contributed if they had adopted the fund from the commencement of their seivice. The Minister said that of the two schemes that had been adopted the latter one had proved the better investment, and last year an opportunity had been given some of those who bad adopted the less profitable fund to change over. “I cannot hold ont any hope of the door being thrown open any wider,” lie said. “The teachers now have a fair chance of getting the best possible results from superannuation.” ••• . » TEACHERS* SUPERANNUATION Complaint was made by Mr T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) that the teachers’ superannuation was on such a basis that certain sections found it more profitable to invest their money in insurance companies. The Minister for Education (Sir James Parr) admitted that the position of the professor class was under a distinct disability, in respect to.superannuation, inasmuch as - the -majority of them were well up in years when they entered, and were then compelled to pay tho highest premiums. In some cases as muck ao 10 per cent, of salary was contributed. A member: That is the highest figure. The Minister: Yes; that is the •highest. But a professor finds it hard to pay £BS per year out of a salary of £850; and it is made Harder by the limit of. £3OO per year. The consequence is that it is a better investment for the professor to put his money into , the more successful insurance companies. I am afraid that the people with the smaller salaries are not in sympathy with the claims of the professor. .Mr Sidey: You are assisting one section at the expense of the other. . The Minister: You have hit the nail oil the head. There are many difficulties in the wav. But when Cabinet discussed it last, it was understood that during the recess the whole system of pensions would ,he overhauled, with a view to rectifying the unfair state of things which exists for the professor. Any action will have to be of a wholesale nature. • • LATE GENERAL MELVILL The Defence Committee of the House brought down a resolution expressing appreciation of the services of the late Major-General Melvill,: General Officer Commanding New Zealand Military Forces, to the Dominion and Empire, and conveying to Mrs Melvill its deepest sympathy in. her bereavement. On the motion of the Prime Minister, the resolution was recorded in the journals of the House. • •••'• MINER’S WIDOW The petition of Beatrice Bray, of Kilbirnie, Wellington, for a widow’s ?ension under the Miners Phthisis Act, 915, has been referred to the Government for favourable consideration. * • * * EXCESS INCOME TAX In the case of the estate of Hemi Matenga, the trustees of which paid £2309 19s 4d land and income tax in excess of the assessment of the amount properly payable, the Government has been recommended by the Petitions Committee to favourably • consider a refund. A similar recommendation was submitted in respect to the petition of Booth and Co. (London), Ltd., who asked' for a refund of the amount paid in error of the income tax due for the years 1918-19. * * * • TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK Tne Tongariro National Park Board says in its annual report:—“During the year a subsidy of £2500 was received from the Government on the contributions of £IOOO and £3OO made by the Auckland and Wellington City Councils .respectively, and the amount (£1000) donated in 1923 by the Bruce Estate Trustees. The Wellington City Council has intimated that a further subsidy of £SOO will be paid by the council during the current year, which will also carry a Government subsidy of a like amount. The sum of £IOOO was appropriated on the Public Works fund to assist the - board • in. the construction of Bruce road, payment of which will be made upon the work being completed. It is pleasing to note that the revenue for the year from the fees charged for park services shows an increase over that received during the preceding year, and should further increase ao additional accommodation is provided.” .- .** » »

THE PENNY WAGE INCREASE Mr Armstiong asked whether fhe Minister for Labour would make provision by legislation this session to make the penny per hour; increase in wages announced by the Arbitration Court apply to all existing awaids and agreements, where the amounts paid are not as high ns those provided for under the court’s announcement. It was quite clear, he said, from a. paragraph in the announcement that the court considered it had not power to make the increase applicable to all awards. When wage reductions were made they applied automatically to all wages. v

The Hon. G. J. Anderson said the law to which Mr Armstrong referred was introduced in 1921. Members would remember the difficulty he had in inducing the House to pass that law, and now Mr Armstrong was asking him to have another attempt and to make the attempt at the end of the session. That seemed impossible to do. this session, hut he would take the matter to Cabinet. It was clear the awards should be amended along the lines indicated by the court, and he thought most of’ the employers would agree to it.